The scientific name for a ball python is Python Regius which literally means 'Royal python'. This name is said to have stemmed from the belief that Queen Cleopatra wore a ball python around her wrist as a bracelet.

Ball pythons move by way of rectilinear locomotion, whereby bilateral symmetrical contractions propel them forward as they push against the surface. Ball pythons are known for the protective mechanism of “balling,” where they form a tight ball with the head at the center in response to threats, earning them their common name, "ball python."